13 January 2011 By Peter Mindenhall

Brits 'not likely' to forgo holidays this year

Despite government austerity measures meaning many Brits are feeling the pinch, new research suggests that many will not be giving up on their holidays this year.

The news could be welcomed by those hoping to buy property in Italy, with the country's holiday rentals market likely to benefit from any additional tourism.

According to Bob Atkinson, travel expert at Travelsupermarket.com, many individuals still view time abroad as "sacrosanct" and will not be foregoing one this year.

"In a year when many people are cutting back spending, they will be looking at getting in deals early and taking advantage of the early booking," he added.

"People will be sitting around saying 'I have no money now' but will book a holiday because it has a low deposit and is something to look forward to through the rest of the winter."

Meanwhile, figures released by Sainsbury's Travel Insurance have found that 13.4 million people intend to book a holiday before the end of February - up by 50 per cent compared to the same period in 2010.